by Kellie Reilly
Godolphin Stable’s Hibaayeb is a proven Grade/Group 1-caliber filly when
conditions suit. With Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Sheepshead Bay at Belmont
Park furnishing two of her prerequisites — firm turf and long distance — the
Saeed bin Suroor trainee was in her element, and accordingly flaunted her class
as the 7-5 favorite. Hibaayeb quickened impressively from just off the
pedestrian pace to prevail by one length, rewarding her backers with $4.90,
$3.10 and $2.40.
The only rival who theoretically could have competed with Hibaayeb for the
label of “class of the field” was Chilean Horse of the Year Belle Watling (Chi),
but her three lackluster efforts in the United States have since dimmed her
claims. Belle Watling set out to make amends here and had the run of the race on
the front end.
Nursed along through an early crawl in splits of :24 2/5, :50 3/5, 1:16 and
1:40 2/5, Belle Watling was stalked by Tarrip. The rail-skimming Hibaayeb was
well placed by John Velazquez just behind the leader, while a hard-held Giants
Play and La Luna de Miel (Ger) came next. Cheetah (GB), who stumbled badly at
the start, brought up the rear.
Belle Watling continued determinedly into the stretch, but drifted out and
handed Hibaayeb a golden opening along the fence. Bursting through to seize the
chance, Hibaayeb took command at the 1 1/4-mile mark in 2:04 1/5 and put the
race safely away. Although Giants Play also finished boldly on the inside, and
Cheetah made late progress on the outside, neither posed a serious danger to the
winner.
Hibaayeb stopped the teletimer in 2:15 4/5 for 1 3/8 miles on the Widener
turf. Giants Play held second by a neck from Cheetah, who was in turn a length
up on Belle Watling. Tarrip wound up fifth, followed by La Luna de Miel. Choice
Play, part of an entry with Belle Watling, was scratched.
“I was watching the horse on the lead (Belle Watling), and I know she drifts
out,” Velazquez said. “I was hoping when she did drift out, there wouldn’t be
somebody to push her back in. Nobody wanted to pass her, so it worked out. I
knew as soon as he (jockey Ryan Curatolo) let go, she was going to get out, and
sure enough (she did). It worked out this time.”
“That’s kind of the way we drew it up,” assistant trainer Rick Mettee said.
“We thought to lay second in there and save all the ground we could. It really
went slow; they really slowed it down a lot. Luckily, the rail opened when it
did. It’s one of the races where she pulled the ultimate perfect trip. Once she
got up the inside, as slow as they were going, it was going to be hard to
outfinish her off those fractions. They were running the last part, but she
obviously was running, too. It was a pretty straightforward race.”
Hibaayeb’s fourth career stakes victory improved her record to 14-4-2-3,
$616,777. Her original trainer, Clive Brittain, pitched her into the 2009 Group
2 May Hill when she was still a maiden. She vindicated the ambitious placement
by finishing second, beaten by just a half-length, and she broke her maiden next
time out in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile at Ascot.
Hibaayeb was subsequently promoted to the elite Godolphin operation for her
sophomore campaign in 2010, but her debut for the team was an inauspicious 16th
in the Group 1 One Thousand Guineas. The dark bay promptly regrouped with a
respectable third to Sarafina in the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary, and she then
dominated the Group 2 Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot by 3 3/4 lengths. The
proverbial wheels came off for Hibaayeb in her ensuing starts — the Group 1
Irish Oaks, where she was a long-way last of 15 as the 3-1 favorite; a
seventh-place effort as the 2-1 favorite in the Group 1 Preis der Diana (German
Oaks); and a remote last of the seven who took part in the Group 1 Yorkshire
Oaks.
Those results suggested that a move to the United States would resuscitate
her career, and so it did. She promptly captured her American bow in the Grade 1
Yellow Ribbon last fall at Hollywood Park, where she added Lasix. Beaten a total
of 2 1/4 lengths when eighth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf,
Hibaayeb was freshened in advance of her four-year-old season. She reappeared in
an April 2 allowance/optional claimer at Gulfstream, finishing a creditable
third over 1 1/16 miles, and promised to move forward here.
Bred by Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd. in Great Britain, Hibaayeb is out of the
winning Lion Cavern mare Lady Zonda, who is also responsible for the Irish
stakes-placed May Meeting (GB), a once-beaten three-year-old named Halifax and
an unraced juvenile filly named Secrets Away. While black type has been thin on
the ground close up in her family, Hibaayeb hails from an excellent female line
a little further back. Her third dam, the unraced Oh So Hot, is a full sister to
multiple Group 2 star and successful broodmare Roussalka (GB).
Oh So Hot’s notable half-siblings include the redoubtable Oh So Sharp (Ire),
who swept England’s Triple Crown for fillies during her championship season in
1985. Oh So Sharp has gone on to produce Group 1 victress Rosefinch and Grade 2
winner Shaima, herself the dam of multiple highweight Shantou, hero of the 1996
Group 1 St Leger. Also in the family are 2001 One Thousand Guineas queen Ameerat
(GB), multiple Grade/Group 1 globetrotter Collier Hill (GB) and 2009 Grade 1
Metropolitan Handicap victor Bribon (Fr).